Spending lower in any daily fantasy lineup is a way to incorporate some diversity into your roster. In NHL DFS, there is typically more value in this strategy but also a good deal more risk. This is especially true on tonight's slate, where there are lots of lower-salaried plays. Plugging in these options will afford you more chances to play some studs as well.
There are 11 games on Thursday night's slate. There is always more value with more games. Let's dig in!
Marco Rossi, Center, Minnesota Wild
FanDuel Salary: $3,400
Assuming he's not a healthy scratch, Marco Rossi should very well play against the Boston Bruins Thursday. Projections suggest that Rossi would be on the second line at even strength.
As for possible power-play deployment, no one is certain what the Minnesota Wild coaching staff has in mind at any moment. One thing is for certain -- Rossi is an all-world prospect talent eager to prove it at the NHL level. With the AHL team in Iowa, Rossi had seven goals and 16 assists in 21 games. His call-up was inevitable.
The speed, hands, and vision of Rossi are all at a high NHL level. It just comes down to timing and getting used to the pace for Rossi. A talented forward in a top-six role isn't salaried here often.
Max Comtois, Wing, Anaheim Ducks
FanDuel Salary: $3,600
Can Max Comtois keep his rebound from COVID-19 protocols and injuries going?
The Anaheim Ducks' winger played with Troy Terry on Tuesday, and the chemistry was instant. Comtois even added an assist, and he has assisted a goal in consecutive games in his return. He is seeing second-line ice time with power-play work (16-plus minutes a night in four straight games overall).
He is enticing at this salary and has a good matchup against Detroit on Thursday night.
Dean Kukan, Defenseman, Columbus Blue Jackets
FanDuel Salary: $3,600
Yes, Dean Kukan is far from the most talented defenseman on the Columbus roster. However, desperate times call for desperate measures. Kukan did play over 20 minutes on Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. He even scored a goal on two shots (three scoring chances).
The New Jersey Devils present a good matchup for Kukan considering New Jersey is averaging 4.20 goals per game allowed in their past 10 contests. Kukan can get shots through from the point against a weak defense.
At the least, Kukan is a top-four value option from the blueline on Thursday night.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Goalie, Buffalo Sabres
FanDuel Salary: $6,800
John Gibson has very good value again on Thursday night, but Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen expects to face well over 30 shots tonight at home versus the San Jose Sharks.
Finland's Luukonen has been quite the sensation with a .927 save percentage so far for the Buffalo Sabres. This may be the Sabres' best chance to win since the Minnesota Wild game in mid-December.
The Sabres are facing a Sharks team that is on a bit of a decline, and the Buffalo goaltender allows the option to spend up in salary at several other positions on Thursday.
Chris Wassel is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Chris Wassel also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username chriswassel. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.